Hi DavidPacker
I have been a critic of MYOB's decision not to include a purge function in AR2023 right from the start.
Previous editions of MYOB allowed the users to purge prior year data on FY rollover. The purpose of the purge was purely to keep the file size down. At the time the file size limit was 2 GB, and once a file hit's that limit, it can no longer be opened - full stop. No warning. Needs to be sent to a specialist to reduce size to allow it to open. After about 1.8 GB the file cannot complete the FY rollover process.
Purging also allowed users to keep the file operating at an efficient level. The larger the file the slower the processing.
MYOB naively thought AR2023 would easily handle larger files and has a 4 GB size limit. No purge function necessary.
I have heard of a client with a 3.6 GB file awhile back and I referred him to a company that has developed their own purge function for AR2023, based on the purge function in earlier MYOB editions. They now send their file for a purge each year. Expensive exercise but allows them to operate.
Yours is the first case I am hearing about that has actually exceed the 4 GB file size limit. I hope you manage to retrieve your current file. If not atleast a recent server backup - MYOB backups online servers each week.
If the file is offline, you can atleast see the file size and note when you are approaching critical limit. You know it is time to either get the file purged or start a new file. You can at least export data. However when the file is online, there is no warning, apart from the declining performance and response times.
Best of luck with this.
Gavin